MS Stand Up | Fundraising for Multiple Sclerosis Research

Our 3rd Annual MS Stand Up Comedy Show Benefit was a night to remember, headlined by Tom Papa and featuring surprise guest, Jim Gaffigan!

MS Stand Up just wrapped up our annual MS Stand Up event, and we're thrilled to share that the net proceeds—$14,000 so far—are going directly to support the current phase of Dr. Yinghua Ma’s groundbreaking MS research at Weill Cornell.

Yinghua is working to confirm a bold but promising hypothesis: that toxins resulting from infection with a specific bacterium trigger the cascade of events that becomes MS. If validated, this research could pave the way for therapies, potentially curing MS, and preventing anyone from ever getting it again.

This research has the potential to change everything for people living with MS. Your support can help move us one step closer to making that future possible!

A Message from Our Founder, Regina Schroeder

Listen to Mind Brain Philanthropic Foundation founder Regina Schroeder share her journey with MS and why she launched MS Stand Up — an annual comedy benefit supporting cutting-edge MS research. When MBPF discovered Weill Cornell’s promising studies lacked full funding, it stepped in. In 2025, Netflix star Tom Papa headlines, donating his performance to benefit Dr. Yinghua Ma’s groundbreaking work on how a common gut bacterium may trigger MS. Last year’s benefit raised $35,000. This year, with Tom Papa’s support, we aim even higher to fund research that may transform how we understand and fight this complex disease.

Regina Schroeder talks about the mission of the Mind Brain Foundation:

"Regina is a force of nature. She's quite a remarkable individual, a person of great integrity, and a person who innately gives whenever we ask something of her whether it's fundraising for Weill Cornell Medicine or for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

She doesn't hesitate to not just pitch in but really organize and drive the entire effort and this is despite her illness, her difficulty with walking, and severe fatigue. Despite those obstacles she is tireless, she never ever says no and she always gives it her all."

Dr. Tim Vartanian, Professor of Neuroscience, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College

Our Last Comedy Show Benefit + Ongoing 2025 Fundraising Supports the Work of Yinghua Ma

The MS Standup Initiative supports innovative research aimed at identifying the causes of multiple sclerosis (MS) and developing new treatments. Recent evidence suggests that a low-abundance gut anaerobe produces a potent toxin that disrupts essential cellular processes involved in myelination and myelin maintenance. This toxin could potentially trigger MS and represents a promising target for novel therapies.

Here is a brief video on Yinghua Ma's work with Weill Cornell Medicine:

Help Us Close the Gap: $46,000 Remaining to Fuel MS Breakthroughs for 2025

Help Us Reach Our 2025 Fundraising Goal!

Our 3rd Annual MS Stand Up Comedy Show Benefit was a night to remember, headlined by Tom Papa and featuring surprise guest, Jim Gaffigan!

Our 3rd Annual MS Stand Up Comedy Show Benefit Was Made Possible Thanks to the Support of Our Generous Sponsors:

A Message from Our Founder, Regina Schroeder

Our Last Comedy Show Benefit + Ongoing 2025 Fundraising Supports the Work of Yinghua Ma

Additional Ways to Get Involved with MS Stand Up!

The MS Walk

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